


Twilight Queen

by KAWebb



Series: Legend of Zelda: Twilight Queen [1]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-19
Updated: 2017-04-11
Packaged: 2018-03-24 18:23:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 19,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3779065
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KAWebb/pseuds/KAWebb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Since the destruction of the Mirror of Twilight there have been problems in Hyrule. When Zelda finds a book in the library she gives it to Shad, because he is the only person with the skills to read it, and he realises the answers to the problems they've been having may well be in the Twilight Realm. As he is the Hero of Time Link goes with Shad - knowing his job isn't yet complete.</p><p>All characters belong to Nintendo. This is a work of fiction written for fun, because I loved Twilight Princess, and I wanted to see what would happen when Link meets Midna again. It's possible there may be romance in the future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Return to the Twilight

**Author's Note:**

> This isn't my first fanfic, but it's the first one I've published publicly.

Shad was excited. When he was excited it always had something to do with the history of Hyrule, so Link prepared himself for another long lecture. He didn’t really mind listening, as he knew Shad’s obsession with the past had left him with few friends, and being there for someone who’d helped Link through one of the most difficult times of his life made him feel less guilty for crying on Shad’s shoulder as often as he had. Their eyes met. “I did it.”

“You did what?”

“Promise me you won’t get angry with me first.”

“I can’t make that promise.” Link had a horrible feeling he knew exactly what Shad had managed to do. “Have you managed to recreate the Mirror of Twilight?”

Worry filled Shad’s eyes. “I think I have. I haven’t tested it yet, because I knew better than to do something quite that stupid alone, but, well, it does exist now. There is a chance I might have got the symbols wrong, but I don’t think I have.”

Link knew from the moment Zelda found that book in the library something like that was going to happen. Shad wasn’t the sort of person who could walk away from knowledge, especially as the book was one nobody had seen in… it had been a long time. Probably as long as the two realms had been separate. Being the one to listen to Link talking about the woman he’d lost would have made it far too easy for Shad to push aside any misgivings he might have had and do what he felt was the right thing to do. Getting Link back to the Twilight Realm was, obvious, what Shad thought was the right thing to do, even though Link wasn’t certain he agreed. For a long time he stayed silent, doing his best not to say the wrong thing.

“Thank you for going to all that effort, Shad, but I’m really not certain it was a good idea.”

“Neither was I.” Shad looked down at the floor. “I wasn’t meant to tell you about this, but there have been some problems recently I think might have something to do with the destruction of the Mirror.” He sighed. “Zelda didn’t want you to know. She thought she’d be able to solve this without getting you involved. I disagree.” When he looked up again their eyes met. “At the end of the book there are several entirely black pages and I believe I might be able to read it in the Twilight Realm.”

“Explain to me why you believe that.”

“It would be easier to show you.” Shad took the book out of his bag. “Look at the pages now.” He placed it on the table and opened it to the very back. “They’re black, right?”

Nodding, Link found himself touching them, trying to see if they were real. They felt like the pages of any other book he’d seen, but they were black. “Yes, they are.”

“Come to the window with me.”

Uncertain, Link did as he was asked. The sun was high in the sky and light was streaming in through it. When Shad put the book into that light the pages seemed to get darker, although Link wasn’t certain how that was possible. “How is that possible?” He shook his head. “I don’t understand why the pages are darker in the light.”

“I don’t understand why it happens either, but I did find, at the very moment of twilight, I could see the characters. Twilight in this world happens for a moment and that isn’t long enough for me to be able to read what’s written and if I did I wouldn’t know what it said, as I’m almost certain I was looking at something written in Twili.” Shad shrugged. “I could be wrong about that. I have no way of knowing what I was looking at. However I have enough evidence for me to believe I will be able to see the characters if we travel to the Twilight Realm and someone there will be able to read it.”

Nodding, Link brushed a hand through his hair. “What are these occurrences Zelda’s been keeping from me?”

“Just moments when something from the Twilight Realm appears here. People remember and they’re scared. I… this is something I know I shouldn’t have done. Zelda is now the Queen and her command is the law, but I think she’s going about this all the wrong way.”

“You think the book you hold in your hands has the answers within it.”

“Yes, I do.” Shad smiled. “Some of them, anyway, because I know better than to think things are going to be that simple.” His smile faded. “Would you come to the Twilight Realm with me?”

“It sounds like it what I should do.” Link glanced over at the chest he’d put his shield and sword into, never thinking he’d need to use them again. “I wish I hadn’t returned everything to the temples.”

“The decision you made was a sensible one. In the future the Hero of Time might well need those tools and keeping them, when you thought you were done with them, might well have been the wrong thing to do for that person.”

“Zelda thought I should keep them.”

“No, she thought you deserved to keep them, after everything you’d been through, but you accepted the reasoning behind your choice. She probably would have done the same thing if she was in your position, because you are very alike.”

“Sometimes we’re too alike.” He thought of her keeping things from him and knew he’d have done exactly the same thing. “Give me a few minutes to pack what we’re going to need and then we’ll get going. It won’t take long for the two of us to get to the desert on Epona.” The thought of his loyal horse always made him smile. “Why don’t you go and wait beside her? I’ll be as quick as I can.”

***

One of the useful things Zelda had done was make it simpler to get to the desert. They didn’t have to use the cannon to get there, which was something Link didn’t think Shad would have enjoyed much, and it had been turned into an attraction instead. Children love it in a way that Link really didn’t - but then the cannon, to them, was something they used for fun. It hadn’t been the only way they could get to the desert. Getting up to the room the mirror had once been in wasn’t any simpler, however. Carrying the mirror up there, which was far heavier than Link expected it to be, made it much harder. Even with the two of them working together it took until sunset for them to get it to where it needed to be.

“You really think this is going to work?”

“It should do.” Shad looked down at the book. “I followed all the instructions.”

There was a moment, the same way there had been the last time Link used the mirror, he was scared it would all go wrong. Breathing deeply he stepped through the mirror. Shad followed close behind. When they reached the Twilight Realm Link couldn’t quite believe they’d made it, but when he turned to look for the portal that would take them back there was nothing there. “You might not have followed the instructions as well as you needed to.”

Shad nodded. “Unfortunately you might be right about that.”

A hand grabbed hold of Link’s arm. He turned to look at who it was and saw one of the people he thought he’d saved. There may well have been a glint of recognition in the Twili’s eyes, if it wasn’t just in Link’s imagination, before he was led in the direction of the castle. When he glanced back he saw Shad following. Far sooner than Link expected, or wanted, they were standing in the throne room - and Midna was right there in front of his face. She was just as beautiful as he remembered her being.

“What are you doing here, Link?” She sounded angry. “Are you the reason the Light Realm has been coming into the Twilight?”

Link shook his head. “No, we aren’t. I’m not certain why that’s been happening, but I believe it’s happening for the same reason the Twilight has been coming into the Light, and that means it’s a problem we’re going to have to deal with together.” He still couldn’t work out why he was able to understand her. Maybe it had something to do with being the Hero of Time. “Shad and I brought a book with us. There’s a chance it will hold the solution to our problems, if you can read it.”

“Bring the book here.”

He turned to Shad, holding his hand out, and Shad nodded, putting the book into it. “I’m not certain you can understand me, Your Majesty, but the book was found in Queen Zelda’s library. From what she said it had been hidden. Had it not been for her it would have stayed hidden.”

“I can understand you, Shad.” Midna smiled, just for a second, before it faded. “The two of you can understand me because I want you to. It’s a part of my magic, although I didn’t realise that until I did some research myself into what I can do.”

“That’s a relief. I created the mirror we used purely because I believe that book holds some of the answers we need and you are the only person I could think of who’d be able to read it. I am sorry to hear you’ve been dealing with some of the same difficulties we have.”

“Honestly I’m grateful to hear I’m not the only person who’s been having those difficulties. I have been wondering if I made the right decision when I destroyed the mirror, but I hadn’t found a way to recreate it.” Midna took the book out of Link’s hand, their fingers touching for a second. “Thank you for bringing me this.”

“We do have one problem. The mirror I created isn’t the same as the one you destroyed. I managed to get us here safely, but there appears to be no way back.”

“In that case I’ll have some rooms made ready for you.” Midna clapped her hands and two Twili made their way over to her. “Make certain the two bedrooms are next to each other.” The Twili nodded and walked away as she opened the book. Link could see the once black pages were covered in writing he couldn’t understand and the rest of the book had turned black. “I appreciate you bringing the book to me. I hope you’re right and we will find the answers to our problems within it.”

“You’re welcome, Your Majesty.”

Midna shook her head. “Please don’t call me that. I still feel like the only person who should be called that is my father.”

With everything that happened Link wasn’t certain exactly what happened to Midna’s father, although he had a feeling it had something to do with Zant. He studied her, wondering what it had been like for her to return to the Twilight alone, and wished he could have been by her side then. “Can we talk later?” When Midna glanced at him their eyes met. “I was hoping we’d be able to work out some way of getting us back to Hyrule as quickly as possible, because I hate leaving Zelda to deal with this alone. You’d be welcome to join us, so the two of you can work together on some way of putting an end to all this, as I believe your input would be invaluable.”

She looked at him again, smiling. “You, of all people, should know better than to think things would be that simple, Link.”

“I was hoping they’d be that simple, Midna.” He smiled back. “I can hold onto that for a little while longer.”


	2. Zelda's Journey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda finds out Link has gone to the Twilight Realm. Her worries stop her from sleeping and she travels to the Mirror Chamber, where she learns more than she really wants to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The characters belong to Nintendo.

“Where are they?”  
  
“I can’t be certain, but I believe they’re in the Twilight Realm.” Zelda’s Captain of the Guard bit his lip and she knew he hadn’t wanted to be the one to tell her the bad news. “There is something where the mirror once was.”  
  
“Shad wouldn’t have been able to make it in the same way it was made before.” She paced from one side of the room to the other. Losing the Hero of Time right when she needed him wasn’t useful and she didn’t know how she was going to work around it, yet. “He doesn’t have any magic. There’s a chance Link could have made one that actually worked, as he has one part of the Triforce within him, but I doubt it. I believe it takes magic from the Twilight and the Light used together, so he might be able to fix things from there, possible.” She raked a hand through her hair, trying to work out what her next step was going to be. “We need someone who can fight the beings that are coming from the Twilight and Link is the only person I know of who could do that. If he hadn’t taken the weapons of Light back to the temples…”  
  
“He couldn’t have known they were going to be needed, Your Majesty. Link truly believed the job he’d been asked to do was complete and it was.”  
  
“At least it was until Midna destroyed the Mirror.”  
  
“She couldn’t have known what effect that was going to have, either. Both of them did what they thought was for the best. Until recently it seemed as though they were both right.”  
  
Nodding, Zelda tried to stop herself from pacing, because she knew it wasn’t doing any good. “Okay, what do you suggest we do about this mess we’ve found ourselves in?”  
  
“Find another Hero of Time.”  
  
“Do you really believe there’s going to be one with Link gone?”  
  
“Hyrule wouldn’t be left unprotected. The Goddesses would have known what Link was going to do, so there’s going to be someone here who can help us while he helps Midna.”  
  
“He was always going to go to her.”  
  
“He loved her, Your Majesty. The two of them spend a long time together when they brought an end to Ganon’s plan and it was always going to have an effect on him.”  
  
“I know.” She remembered what he’d been like when Midna first left. Crossing the desert with him… at least he was back with her, even though it left her in a difficult position. “How are we going to go about finding this Hero of Time?”  
  
“You should know by now the Hero of Time comes to us, Zelda.” The Captain smiled. “Give it a week and I believe someone will arrive who’ll be able to solve the problems we’ve been having.”  
  
The Captain might have been able to smile when he didn’t have any real idea how bad things had become. Zelda wasn’t certain they had a week before the two realms collided and when that happened… she pushed the thought away. She didn’t want to think what would happen then, because she wasn’t going to let it happen. Making up for the mistakes she’d made before, mistakes that had led to the mess she currently found herself in, was the most important thing. If it hadn’t been for the choices she made then she wouldn’t have needed a Hero of Time in the first place.  
  
“Beating yourself up isn’t going to change anything. What’s done is done.” Zelda looked over at him. “You made a mistake, one that changed the world, and I know it’s something you’re never going to forgive yourself for.”  
  
“How can I?” She shook her head. “If it wasn’t for me…”  
  
“You can’t know your father would have made a different decision.”  
  
“No, I can’t, but I believe he would have and that’s enough.”  
  
***  
  
Zelda hadn’t been able to sleep properly since she first realised what might be happened. Waking up in the middle of the night wasn’t something she much enjoyed, but she was more used to it than she really wanted to be. Silently, she made her way to the stables, wanting to see the mirror for herself. There was a chance she might be able to make it work for long enough for her to get through to the Twilight Realm. Her and Midna together would be able to put an end to what was happening before things got too bad. As she saddled the horse she thought about what it would be like to see the Princess of the Twilight again. The Queen of the Twilight. It was still difficult for Zelda to come to terms with the fact she was the Queen and that meant Midna would be as well, the two of them gaining thrones thanks to Ganon and Zant’s plans.  
  
A tear trickled down Zelda’s cheek. She’d never wanted the throne. The only thing she really wanted was for her dad to be alive again, but that wasn’t going to happen. She was the one in charge. She was the one who had to stop the two worlds from colliding, even though she didn’t know how she was going to do it without Link, because he was the Hero of Time. He was the one who was meant to be there to help her. Breathing deeply she told herself Link had done the right thing. Going to the Twilight Realm was what he was supposed to do. She lifted herself onto the horse and gently nudged him into a canter. There were no guarantees she’d be back before the castle woke, but at least she’d left a note behind, so they wouldn’t worry too much about her when they found she wasn’t in her bed… she hoped.  
  
Riding did help. Not having to think about what she was doing made everything a little easier for Zelda. Like her dad always said she thought far too much about everything, but there wasn’t anything she could do about that. Unfortunately she reached the desert far sooner than she thought she was going to, which meant she’d have to drag herself up to the Mirror Chamber, and that was a horrible journey. How Link and Shad made it all the way up with a huge mirror she would never know. When she finally reached the chamber she saw exactly what her Captain of the Guard meant. If it had been a mirror once it wasn’t any more and she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to touch it.  
  
“He made the right choice.” Doing her best not to show how badly the voice had startled her Zelda turned to look at the being who’d spoken. “Link is needed in the Twilight far more. They don’t have a hero there and if this is going to be fixed you need the weapons of Light and the weapons of Twilight.”  
  
“I thought all we’d need to do was fix the mirror.”  
  
The being smiled. “If only it were that simple, Your Majesty. The destruction of the mirror was something we believed would only happen when the two worlds were meant to come together again. Unfortunately Queen Midna had no idea of the damage she would cause, because their history has been lost for far too long.”  
  
“How did that happen?”  
  
“None of the Twili thought to write it down. It was one of those stories passed down from one generation to the next, until it started changing. Had someone written it all down when they had the chance you wouldn’t be in this position now.”  
  
“Can you tell me how to stop the worlds from colliding?”  
  
“You need to understand there is a chance you might not be able to stop it. I believe you have enough time, but I’m not certain, and my companions believe it’s far too late. All I can do is try to help you.”  
  
“Why?”  
  
“This is, at least in part, our fault, and I still believe we need to make amends for our mistakes. I know you feel the same way, Your Majesty.”  
  
***  
  
Zelda was far more tired than she expected to be when she finally made her way down from the Mirror Chamber and it was a relief to see the Captain of the Guard standing next to her horse. “You could have woken me, Your Majesty.”  
  
“No, I couldn’t.” She smiled at him. “You need your sleep far more than I do, Captain, and I was perfectly safe.”  
  
“You couldn’t have known that. What if something had happened to you?”  
  
“I have my own powers and I would have taught them not to attack the Queen of Light.”  
  
He shook his head. “Your Majesty…”  
  
“Please don’t argue with me. I’ve just had a very long conversation about how to stop the worlds from colliding, which might not even be possible now, and I don’t have the energy for this. All I want to do is go home, so I can have a nap.”  
  
“Why might it not be possible?”  
  
“Time.” She sighed. “Everything has to do with how long the two realms have been coming together. As there is a chance we might not be able to stop this we have a two pronged attack. To begin with we need to recreate the Sheikah and that means I need to talk with Ilia. I’m not certain how she’s meant to help me, but I’m sure I’ll find out soon enough. Can you send someone to get her as soon as possible? I’d like to talk to her today, if at all possible.”  
  
“I can do that for you, Your Majesty.”  
  
“Thank you, Captain. The other thing I need to do is find the Hero of Light, wherever he or she may be, because Link is needed in the Twilight. Once I find the Hero of Light they’re going to need to get all the Weapons of Light, including a couple I’ve never actually heard of before.”  
  
“Link would have made things simpler if he hadn’t put them back.”  
  
“Yes, he would, but he’s going to be on the same hunt for the Weapons of Twilight, because we need both sets, and it’s fair that both the Heroes have to do the same thing.”  
  
“Did whoever it was you were talking to say anything about that?”  
  
“Apparently it was supposed to happen, but the destruction of the Mirror wasn’t. The weapons weren’t meant to be needed again for a long time, so the urge to put them back was planted in Link by them, and there was no way to stop him when they realised how badly things had gone.”  
  
Nodding, the Captain lifted her onto her horse. “Let’s get you back to the castle. I’ll send someone out for Ilia and hope we find the Hero of Light at the same time.”  
  
“We need to. We might have a week to find all the Weapons of Light, if we’re lucky, and if we don’t the two worlds are going to collide.”  
  
“That’s what we need the Sheikah for.”  
  
“Yes, it is.” Talking things through with him was helping her to stay away, even though she was more tired than she had been in months. “The Sheikah… I’m not entirely certain if they become the Twili or what it was that happened, but they were in Hyrule and now they’re not. Ilia might know more than I do. I hope she does. I need to learn everything I can as quickly as I can.”  
  
“I’ll help you as best I can, Your Majesty.”  
  
“I appreciate it.”  
  
“Hyrule is my home too and I can’t imagine how the two worlds colliding might affect it.” He stared into the distance. “I know it won’t be like it was, but I remember it happening and that’s something I believe I will always fear happening again.”  
  
“I’m sorry.”  
  
“You made the best choice you could, Your Majesty, and I will never blame you for what happened.”  
  
“You might not, but I do.”


	3. Talking with Midna

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Midna's read the book Shad brought with him and now she knows what happened when she destroyed the Mirror.

“Thank you for bringing the book to me.” Midna looked at Shad. “It is an important part of the history of the Twili and if I’d had this information sooner I never would have destroyed the Mirror in the first place. Unfortunately the truth was long many years ago, so there was no way I could know the effect it would have on our worlds.” She sighed. “I made the best choice I could at the time. I thought destroying the Mirror would make everything easier, but it’s made things much harder, and that, Link, is why you’re here.”

When their eyes met Link could see the fear within Midna’s and he wanted to put his hand out to reassure her, but he didn’t think it would be appreciated. “What do you need me to do?” There was a part of him wishing he’d stayed in Hyrule, so he didn’t have to be a hero again, even though he knew he’d never not be one. “I don’t have any of the weapons of Light with me.”

“It’s just as well you didn’t try to bring them. From what I read it would have made things harder. Zelda’s going to need to find someone who can use them. We need to go on the hunt for the weapons of Twilight.”

“How is that going to help?”

“Okay, I have no idea where the Temple of Time is in this world, but if both you and whoever it is Zelda gets to help her are there at the right time we should be able to put a stop to what’s happening. I have a feeling it might mean both of you are trapped in the twilight for the rest of your lives.”

Link glanced at Shad, who was smiling. “I don’t think either of us are going to have a problem with that.” He looked back at Midna and smiled. “Unless you do.”

“That’s something we’re going to have to talk about in the future.” Midna turned her attention back to the book. “I don’t have all the information we need, unfortunately, but there is a way we can get it. We have to talk with one of the sages.”

“Are they the people who thought it was a clever idea to dump Ganon here?”

“Yes…”

“Do we really want to be talking with them? It’s obvious to me they’re idiots.”

“They are the only people with all the information we need, Link, so talking to them would help us, but I could do it alone if you don’t want to deal with them. I can understand why you’d be angry. If it wasn’t for their decision you wouldn’t be here now. You wouldn’t have even known you were the hero of Time.”

“No, I wouldn’t.” Maybe his life would have been easier, but easier didn’t mean better. “I’m glad they were idiots, because the choice they made, in the end, did lead to my life being better than it was before…” At least it had been until Midna destroyed the Mirror, but he wasn’t going to point that out. “Being here isn’t a problem, Midna. Being the hero of Time is who I am.” He’d come to terms with that in the time the two of them were together, mostly because he had no other option. “As I’m needed here it makes the most sense.!”

“We are going to need to talk with the sages. There is someone else I could call on, but I really don’t want to draw the Goddess of the Twilight into this unless I have to. When Zant took over…” Midna shook her head. “His choices changed things for both the twilight and the light, which is something I will never forgive him for. Now she’s doing her best to fix things…” She gestured. “It’s hard to describe. His choice, taking the twilight into the light, affected the twilight itself. Now that I’ve read this I believe it’s why we have so little time to fix this. Had he not done what he did we might have had a little more time.”

Link brushed a hand through his hair. “Thank you, Zant.” He shook his head. “How does it feel to be the Queen?”

“Surreal, mostly.” She looked around the room they were in. “There have been more times than I can remember when all I’ve wanted is to be able to talk with Father about something. Even though I knew the time would come when I became the Queen I didn’t imagine for a moment it would be at this age. I was certain Father would around for another decade at least, but he’s gone, and I miss him. I didn’t have time to miss him when the two of us were trying to put things right. It wasn’t until I got back…” Pain filled her voice. “It was then I couldn’t pretend it hadn’t happened. The twilight claimed me as it’s Queen, so that’s what I am. I wish I knew if he was proud of me.”

“Of course he is.” Link gave into his urge and put his hand on Midna’s. “He knows you’re the one who fixed things, because I wouldn’t have been able to do what I did if it hadn’t been for you. I’d probably still be a wolf in a cage.”

“Being here might mean you can transform again.”

“Possibly, but it’s not something I want to test out right now.” He glanced at Shad. “For now I think our friend might have a question to ask you.”

Shad opened his mouth. “You can go into the library whenever you want, Shad.” Midna laughed. “I should have said that before, but I didn’t think of it. If anyone can find the information we need it’s you.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“Please call me Midna.”

“I’ll do my best.” Smiling, Shad glanced at Link. Link nodded. “Is there a chance you might have some way of translation Twili into a language I can understand when I’m reading the books?”

“Do you trust me?”

“Yes.”

Shad looked confused as Midna stood and made her way around the table. “In that case I think I should be able to make things far simpler for you.” She pressed her hand to his temple. “There are certain things I can do now that I could never do before. One of those is transfer the information you need directly to your mind. You won’t even know you have it unless you’re reading books written in Twili.”

“After all the effort I went to in order to learn the language of the Sky People I really thought it would be far more difficult.”

“If you hadn’t made the decision to come here and help us it would have been. Coming here, creating a mirror to bring you here, all goes to show how important it was that you got me the information I need and that’s something I will always appreciate, so thank you for that.”

“You’re very welcome, Your… Midna.” Shad shook his head. “Zelda believed this was something we could fix from the Light, but I disagreed. I thought we could only fix it if both sides were working towards the same aim and it looks like I was right about that.”

“As it took both the Light and the Twilight to fix the damage that happened when Zant took over as King I’m not surprised we need both again, this time to fix the damage I caused.”

“There was no way you could have known this was going to happen, Midna. You may feel it is, but this isn’t your fault, and I know Zelda isn’t going to blame you for not having all the information you needed.” Link hoped she wasn’t, anyway. “If you’d known this was going to happen you wouldn’t have destroyed the Mirror in the first place.”

“No, I wouldn’t, but that doesn’t mean I made the right choice.” She shook her head. “I was scared of the worlds combining in ways I couldn’t control and I shouldn’t have made the decision I did until I’d had a chance to think things through.”

“So you’d have changed your mind even if you didn’t know the damage the destruction of the mirror was going to cause?”

“Probably.” Midna’s eyes met with Link’s. “I regretted it from the moment I did it and for a long time I thought it was because of you. I thought I regretted it because a broken mirror meant I was never going to be able to see you again, but then I realised I regretted it for other reasons as well. I missed Zelda. Having her in my life, I think, would have made the loss of Father a little easier to come to terms with, as I would have had someone there who understood what I was going through.”

Link couldn’t stop himself from standing and going over to Midna. He wrapped his arms around her, ignoring the fact she was about a foot taller than him, doing his best to comfort her. When Shad quietly left the room Link smiled. “Now I can’t leave…”

“Oh, Link, we can’t have a relationship. I wish we could, but you’re from the light and I’m from the twilight. Our child wouldn’t be able to inherit the throne here.”

“Who says they’re going to have to?” Link shook his head. “You’re getting ahead of yourself. Right now I’m not expecting anything more than you can give and friendship is more than enough. I still love you. That hasn’t changed in the time we’ve been apart. I don’t think the way you feel has changed either, but I could be wrong about that.”

“It hasn’t.”

“All we can do is take things one step at a time. I’m not asking you to handfast me. What I’m asking for is the chance to spend some time with you again. After spending however long it was hunting for the weapons of Light together I missed you.”

“I missed you. I never realised how hard it was going to be to be entirely alone. I can’t trust anyone here, not truly, and I hate that. I wish I could trust them, but I have no way of knowing who might have helped Zant. In the time we spent together I came to trust you in a way I never expected to and there were times when I’d turn to you for advice only to find you weren’t there.”

“There I was thinking I was the brawn.” He laughed. “I never thought you’d want my advice when we first met.”

“You didn’t know anything about what happened and I was being nasty, because I was angry with the world. You deserved better than that, but I couldn’t know that until I got to know you, and I didn’t want to get to know you, at least not until you saved my life.”

“What else was I going to do? You were the only person who knew how I was going to put my world back to normal and it wasn’t until later the thought of losing you hurt. When I thought you’d died in the fight with Ganon…” Link hated thinking of that moment. “I couldn’t imagine my life without you in it.”

“Then I broke the mirror.” She shook her head. “I am sorry.”

“Had it not been for the way it damaged the two worlds I would have said it was the right choice to make, no matter how much I missed you. I don’t think the people of Hyrule were ready to deal with the Twili after what happened and you might well have found yourself the Queen of a dead race.” He sighed. “Now, though, we need to focus on the future of the the two worlds.”


	4. Talking with Ilia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda and Ilia start working together in order to learn more about Hyrule and the Sheikah.

Zelda’s eyes met with Ilia’s. “I believe you know about the Sheikah, and I need you to help me learn more about them. Link has gone to the Twilight Realm, but he doesn’t have any way back, so I don’t have the Hero of Light to turn to for help. You are my only hope right now.” Being honest was harder than Zelda wanted it to be, but she knew she had to make Ilia understand the position they’d found themselves in. “The two realms are on a collision course. I believe Midna will be doing what she can to help Link. I hope there is another Hero of Light out there somewhere, but I won’t know for certain until they are found. That’s why I need the Sheikah.”

Ilia nodded. “A lot has been lost, Your Majesty. Knowledge is power. The Sheikah were known for their understanding of the two realms and I can help you, but it’s not going to be a simple thing to do. We will need to go to Old Kakariko.”

“I understand.” Zelda hoped Ilia couldn’t see how relieved she was. “We can leave now, if you want.”

“First I would like to have a look through your libraries. There are books that have been lost for centuries and there is a chance they might be here somewhere.” Ilia ran her tongue over her bottom lip. “I’m not saying that finding them will help, or that rebuilding the Sheikah will change anything, but I know they were planning for the possibility something like this might happen.”

“You can do whatever you need, Ilia. Thank you for choosing to help me.”

“The fate of Hyrule was in Link’s hands once before and he managed to stop the Twilight from taking our world over then. He did it with the help of both the Princesses, Light and Twilight, so the same has to happen this time, otherwise the two realms will collide. For a long time I’ve been dreaming of this.” Ilia looked down at the table in front of them. “My life changed far more than I thought was possible when the world was shrouded in Twilight. I have learnt to accept what I am now. Accepting what I am means doing what needs to be done in order to protect Hyrule.” She lifted her gaze and it was possible for Zelda to see something more than Ilia in her eyes. “Once, before the Sheikah faded into nothingness, the women of my family led them. I am being called to do that once more and I will do it to the very best of my ability, Your Majesty.”

“If we’re going to be working together on this I would like it if you could call me Zelda.”

“You are my Queen. It will be difficult to do, but I’ll try my best to call you by your given name.” Ilia smiled. “Can you show me the first of your libraries?”

Nodding, Zelda stood. “How did you know there was more than one library?”

“My dreams have been of the castle recently. I don’t remember how to get to the libraries, because I don’t think I was meant to, but I do remember how many there are. Over the last few nights I have visited five of them. One I know holds a book that would be of use to us.”

“We’re going to have to do some walking, then. The castle is larger than it looks on the outside and visiting all five of the libraries is going to take us some time. Do you remember what the library looked like that held the book?”

After a long silence Ilia shook her head. “I don’t remember what the library itself looked like, but I do remember there was a stained glass window in the room. The colours were beautiful.”

“I know exactly which library you’re talking about.” Zelda sighed. “I also know it’s been lost for centuries.”

“How can you lose a room?”

“When Father told me I asked him the same thing, because I didn’t think something like that was possible, and he couldn’t explain it to me. However, when I looked into it, I found an entire wing of the castle was lost during one of battles fought with Ganon, so there is a chance it’s gone forever. There’s also a chance it might have been hidden, in the same way Old Kakariko was. If the Sheikah hadn’t wanted Ganon to get to those books for some reason I’m certain they would have done whatever they had to in order to keep them safe.”

“If you’re right I might feel it.” Ilia shook her head. “Unfortunately, it seems you’re right about the two of us needing to do a lot of walking.”

“Maybe not. I found some old maps of the castle that showed the lost wing. If we use them it might speed things up.”

“Do you know where they are?”

“The first of the libraries I was planning on taking you to. That’s where I’ve kept everything I found that might help us, because I thought it was easier to keep it all together than have it scattered over several different libraries.” Zelda shrugged. “We don’t have a lot of time. If we are to save Hyrule was need to move as quickly as possible.”

“We do. I thought, when I dreamt of the castle, something like this was coming. Father wouldn’t let me leave home until your captain came to get me, otherwise I would already have visited Old Kakariko. He didn’t want me to be a part of this. Losing me last time… it’s made him more protective and I hate it sometimes. I need a chance to be the person I was always meant to be, Zelda, and he won’t let go of the person I was before.” Ilia sighed. “I understand why, but that doesn’t make it any easier for me.”

“Father was the same way, so I know exactly what it’s like. He never wanted me to grow up, but there was nothing he could do to stop it, and eventually he had to accept I was going to become the Queen of Hyrule. When he finally did…” Zelda bit her lip, to stop her emotions from getting the better of her. “I don’t know for certain how Father died. I think, although I have no way of proving it, either Zant or Ganon had something to do with it. They wanted me to be on the throne. They wanted me to be confused, and hurting, and not certain of the choices I was making. They wanted an easy way in, and I gave them it.”

“In the end you did stop them.”

“After the Twilight had changed Hyrule.”

“Sometimes you have to take a step back in order to see the truth. You couldn’t have won against Zant, or Ganon, without Link. Had you tried to fight the battle you would have been dead. Fortunately for Hyrule you didn’t try to fight it, which is why we have a Queen now, because your death would have led to a civil war. I’ve Seen it. I know exactly what would have happened if you made a different choice. You made the right choice. You made the only sensible choice you could… and I am glad you made it. If you didn’t I never would have known who I really was. Now I do and I can help to fix the problems that have been caused by the choices of Zant and Ganon.”

Zelda didn’t know how to reply. They made their way to the library in silence as she tried to find the words she needed, but every time she thought she was coming close they fled. “You’re certain?” She looked at Ilia. “If I hadn’t made the choice I did I would have died?”

“I’m certain.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Ilia’s eyes were taking in the library. “This is the first of the libraries I came to.” She glanced at the table Zelda normally worked at. “It’s exactly as it was when I visited it.”

“Did you have a chance to look at what I’d found?”

“A little, but I didn’t spend much time here. It’s one of the better known libraries, so it’s the first that would have been purged of books on the things your family didn’t want to have to think about any longer, which means it won’t be much use to us. That’s something I’m sure you already knew.”

“I had found it out.” Zelda shook her head. “I wish they hadn’t done it. I wish we had a chance to see the books that were destroyed. I wish… I hate to think my family did that. We should have been the protectors of that information, instead of destroying it, and I can never forgive them for doing it. With that knowledge I might have been able to stop Zant from doing what he did.”

“The Twili did the same thing. Much of what they once knew is lost, due to fear.” Ilia shrugged as she sat down. “There are, unfortunately, those who fear the truth, and because of that they are willing to do anything they can to get rid of it. Destroying those books was the way they managed to protect themselves. I hope some of them at least will be in the lost library, protected by those who knew we would need to know what happened.”

“Hopefully.” Zelda picked up one of the maps. “Over the years the royal family have made changed to the castle. It’s belonged to us ever since my family claimed the throne. Some Kings, and Queens, had added rooms, or changed things around, which is why I thought these were going to be useful. Older maps show the lost wing. There is a gap of around a century between the maps, during which time Ganon was wreaking havoc, the way he has done so many times before.” She looked at Ilia. “We have defeated, for now, but that doesn’t mean he won’t come back again. That’s the way these things work, unfortunately. There is, however, always a Hero of Light at the same time, so I know things will work out the way they are meant to.”

“Once the Sheikah helped to fight Ganon. When we reach old Kakariko I should be able to find the books that were hidden away relatively quickly, but it has to be me. It has to be someone who has the blood of the Sheikah.”

“Will you be able to find the others?”

“Yes, but it’s not something I want to do until I’ve been to Old Kakariko. There is a reason we no longer exist, Zelda, and the last thing I need is to find myself dealing with a traitor when we’re focusing all our energy on saving Hyrule.”

Nodding, Zelda pulled out the map she was looking for. “I’ve found it.” She smiled. “This shows the lost wing.” She passed it to Ilia. “As you can see there are two places we might be able to enter it from.”

Ilia studied the map. “We need that one.” She pointed at the entrance Zelda had thought was the most likely one. “It feels right.” Sighing, she shook her head. “I can’t believe I just said that.”

“You’re Sheikah, Ilia, so I’m not surprised you get feelings about things.” Their eyes met. “Whenever you feel something tell me, please. It might save our lives… or help us to find the new Hero of Light.”

“I will.” Ilia stood. “I suggest we go now, because we don’t have much time if we are going to save Hyrule.”

“Can we save Hyrule?”

“I don’t know. I hope we can. I believe if we’re all working together it should be possible.”


	5. Midna and Link

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Midna and Link talk about before. Shad has more information about the history of Hyrule and the Twilight.

There was a knock on his door. Link didn’t think who might be on the other side of it before he called, “Come in.”

When Midna stepped into the room their eyes met. Before, when they were working together to save the two realms, he could read her, but things had changed. All the emotions he’d once been able to see in her eyes were gone. “I thought it would be good for the two of us to talk.”

Nodding, Link ran his tongue over his bottom lip. He didn’t know what to say. “I didn’t want this.”

“I know.” Midna sighed. “You came here to warn me the Twilight was in danger and I do appreciate that.” She took a step closer to him, shutting the door behind her, and shrugged. “You are the Hero of Light. This is what you do.”

“Honestly I thought, with Zant and Ganon gone, I was going to have a chance to be normal again, but obviously that wasn’t my fate.” He wasn’t going to complain too much about it, because that was the whole reason he was with Midna again. “I’m not going to say it would have been easy to go back to being my old self. Being the Hero of Light changed things for me. Meeting you changed things.”

“Knowing that I had changed things for you was the reason I walked away, Link, because you deserved a chance to live a normal life. I wanted that for you. If I’d left the Mirror as it was you wouldn’t have had that chance, because someone else would have wanted to rule over both the realms, and then you would have been called to be the Hero of Light once again. I’m sorry things didn’t work out the way I wanted them to. I’m sorry you’re having to deal with this.”

“None of this is your fault.”

“It feels that way.”

“Midna, you had no way of knowing what would happen. You did what you believed was the right thing, and I’m not going to say you were wrong. It’s entirely possible someone would have used the Mirror to take over the Twilight and the Light. The only thing we can do is work out how to put a stop to this.” Link smiled. “It does mean I get to see a lot more of the Twilight than I did the last time I was here.”

“That’s not going to be an easy thing to do. The Twilight… it will know you aren’t meant to be here, and made everything more confusing. You’re going to need a guide and the only person who’ll be able to do that is me.”

“You are the Queen of the Twilight. You can’t do that.”

“Being the Queen means I’m the one who has to do this.” She smiled and for the first time it was possible for him to see the imp he’d got to know. “Since when have I been the sort of person to sit around waiting for someone else to save me. This is just as much my task as it is yours.”

“I’m not saying you’re wrong, but if something were to happen to you…”

“You don’t need to worry about that. I’ve named my heir.” She studied him. “I never told you much about my world, did I?”

“No, you didn’t.”

“Father chose me to be his heir because he knew I was the best person for the position. Normally the crown wouldn’t have passed from father to daughter in that way, but he believed in me in a way I never believed in myself, and there are times when I think he might have known what was coming. I didn’t. I had no idea Zant would do what he did. If I had known I wouldn’t have made the same choices, and that would have had an effect on both our futures, which is why Seers do their best not to say too much of what they’ve Seen.” Midna smiled. “Although I’m not certain I have a feeling Ilia might be a Seer.”

“Ilia believes she is one of the Sheikah, the protectors of Hyrule, and I have no reason to disbelieve her when she says that. One of the things I have realised is that we don’t know anywhere near as much about Hyrule as we thought we did. Zelda, when I last spoke to her, told me she was looking into the history of our world, but it was far more difficult than she thought it was going to be. Books have been lost, and damaged, and…” Link shook his head. “I’m not surprised. When she told me how bad things were I could see why people would have destroyed things they didn’t want future generations to know. What did happen to the Sheikah?”

“Hopefully that is a question Zelda, and Ilia, will find an answer to. From what I know of the Sheikah they were once the protectors of Hyrule, and the Royal family, so the fact they’re gone… it makes me wonder if Zelda was meant to claim the throne. Could those who wanted her on the throne have brought an end to the Sheikah?” She shrugged. “I think it’s unlikely. I think it’s more likely the Sheikah lost their lives to protect the true Royal family, but there is no way of knowing, unless they do find the answers, and even then it won’t matter to us unless the two realms do happen to collide. What we need to do is focus on how we’re going to stop that from this side.”

Link nodded. “Which is going to be just as difficult, because your people didn’t want us to know what we need to know now.” He brushed a hand through his hair, doing his best not to mentally curse their ancestors for making those choices, and stood. “I was thinking of seeing if Shad needed some help.”

“Our library is large, so I don’t doubt he will. Are you running to the library to get away from me?”

“Midna, I’m not angry with you for what you did. I never was. I know how you broke the Mirror. Shad explained it to me.”

“Good.” Midna took another step towards him. “Had I not felt the way I did things would have been easier. Considering the choice you made I can’t help thinking you might have felt the same way about me, once.”

“Nothing’s changed.”

She laughed. “Everything’s changed.”

“Has it? I’m here to help you, the same way I was before, and the two of us will be journeying deep into the Twilight to save your realm. I still feel the same way I did before. I know it can never be, because of who we are.”

“Think for a moment. You were the Hero of Light, when you were working to save Hyrule, and I can’t help thinking it’s possible that coming to the Twilight, helping the people here, changed you in ways neither of us could have expected. Could it be that the reason you’re here is because you’re the Hero of Twilight?”

“You don’t have your own.”

“Not that I know of, and I have been looking into it. There has never been anyone like you here before.”

“There has.” Shad opened the door, looking between Link and Midna. “Once, in the very distant past, there was a Hero of Twilight. I’ve only found references to him, nothing more, but those references make me believe he came from Hyrule, and that means Link could well be related to that Hero.”

“As well as the Hero of Light?”

“Your Majesty…” Shad shook his head. “Midna, there is every chance one of the previous Heroes of Light was female. Female and Sheikah. I found references to that while I was in Hyrule, but I couldn’t put all the pieces together, because I didn’t have them. Being here… it’s helping me to understand both of the realms. It’s helping me to understand that the history we believe was true isn’t.”

“History is written by the victors.” Midna brushed a hand through her hair. “It’s also written by those who lose, but it’s nowhere near as well known, and if there were any books it would be easy enough for people to destroy them, because knowing the truth isn’t always the most important thing. Sometimes hiding the truth is.”

“Sadly, that is the case.” Shad shrugged. “Knowledge is power. To take it from someone is to make them powerless. At the moment we have far less power than I wish we had, because of the choices those people made, but I believe I should be able to start creating a map for you, that will show you where you might be able to find the Weapons of Twilight.”

“They exist?”

“They exist. From what I’ve read the reason they’re here is because the Hero of Light and the Hero of Twilight made a very difficult decision when they realised something was coming, but, for the moment, I’m still trying to work out what that something was.” Shad looked at Link. “Zelda might be able to find out more, but we have no way of contacting her.”

“We might. If Ilia is truly Sheikah I might be able to visit her dreams, but there are no guarantees. It’s something I haven’t tried to do. Until recently it wasn’t something I knew I could do.” Midna laughed. “Father told me my abilities would keep evolving. I don’t know if it’s due to the growing connection between the two worlds or something else. All I know is that I’m not the person I thought I was, when I first made the decision to step into the Light and try to bring an end to Zant.”

“That could well be due to the fact you have become the Queen of the Twilight. There hasn’t been a Queen here and in Hyrule for a long time.” Shad looked down at his book. “Everything changed when you made the decision to enter Hyrule, Midna, because you changed. Had you not you wouldn’t have made the decision you did to protect Zelda. I believe that’s strengthened the connection between the two of you, and the two Realms, which is part of the reason they’re drawing together, although I hope you’re not going to feel guilty for making those choices. You saved Hyrule, and the Twilight. If it hadn’t been for you Zant would have been the King of both Realms.”

“Of course I feel guilty. If I’d known what I know now… I would have been more careful.”

“You might have been, but Zelda wouldn’t.” Midna looked at Link. “When she saved your life she was the one who started building the connection between the two of you. She wouldn’t have changed that. She would have saved you even if it brought this about, because I wouldn’t have been able to save Hyrule alone. You are the person who kept me going. You’re the one who pushed me when I wanted to give up. You’re the one who helped me when I got into positions where I might have died, and if it hadn’t been for you I probably would be dead by now.”

“I have to admit you make a good point about Zelda, but you… I know you would have been able to do that without me, Link. You’re stronger than you realise and you’re not the sort of person who would have given up, no matter how much you wanted to.” She surprised him by touching his hand gently. “There were times when I wanted to stop too, and you were the one who pushed me to keep going, because we helped each other. We did what we had to in order to save the Realms, and now we’re going to do the same thing again, if Shad can find out where it is we need to go, as I don’t know enough about the Twilight myself to be able to help with that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like what you're reading I do have a [website](http://www.kawebbwriting.co.uk) for my original fiction.


	6. Finding the Lost Library

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda and Ilia find the lost library, and get to know each other better in the process.

Following Ilia through the castle was strange, but she seemed to know exactly where she was going, and that could only be a good thing. As the two of them made their way along corridors Zelda wasn’t entirely certain she even been down before she thought about what her life might have been like if the Sheikah hadn’t disappeared. Would she have known the true history of Hyrule? Would there have been someone there guiding her at the very worst time of her life, who’d have done everything they could to stop her from making the mistakes she regretted? They were questions she could never know the answers to and she wished that wasn’t the case.

“What do you know of the Sheikah, Ilia?”

“My knowledge is limited to what I’ve dreamt, because Father is scared of me exploring this side of who I am. I don’t know why, although I have a feeling there is a reason, as Father has never been the sort of person to do something for no reason. What happened changed everything. Link isn’t the same person he was, which is something people have been able to accept. He saved Hyrule. Maybe, now that I’m helping to do the same thing, Father will be able to understand me better.” Ilia sighed. “The Sheikah want me to learn about who I am. They need to be a part of this world once again. I tried, but it’s hard. I’m important to Father. He already lost Mother and he doesn’t want to lose me. I can understand that. It’s just hard to accept when I know this is the path I need to be walking.”

“Parents do find it difficult to accept their children have grown up sometimes. I think, even though Father did his best not to view me as a little girl, he still saw me as her at times. I wish he was still here to do that. I didn’t know how much I was going to miss him until he was gone.”

“That’s why I’m not pushing things. Father and I have been alone for a long time. If I was to do something stupid that led to him losing me I would never be able to forgive myself. I’ve chosen to help you, and Hyrule, because I know it’s what needs to be done. Of course it helps that Link’s been helping me to train, just in case something did happen.”

“Train?”

“Swords are not my thing, but I’m very good with a bow and arrow.” Ilia glanced back at Zelda. “The Sheikah were the guardians of the Royal family and the keepers of knowledge. As we both know it’s far too easy for people to destroy books, to forget what has been passed down from one generation to the next, and they realised it would be possible that what someone needed to know in the future might well end up lost to those who were trying to save Hyrule. One of the things I remember… I know it’s not my memory, but the memory of one of my ancestors, and yet it still feels like it’s mine.” She shook her head. “I remember how we came to be viewed as dangerous. I’m not entirely certain how it happened, but things changed. Instead of being seen as protectors the Sheikah were seen as the enemy. It’s something I hope I’ll learn more about when we reach either the lost library or old Kakariko.”

“One of the things you don’t need to do is protect me. I have been taught how to protect myself.”

“I have no issue with standing by your side and helping you to fight those who may work against us.”

“You believe they will?”

“Right now I’m not certain exactly what’s going to happen, but I have heard rumours of the creatures of the Twilight coming into the light. I don’t know if that’s something that’s happening naturally or if someone is taking advantage of what’s been happening. Either is possible. The Sheikah would say it’s very likely someone would want to use this time to try to bring an end to the Royal family, because that’s what people do. You don’t have an heir, Zelda, and that could end up being an issue in the near future.”

“Honestly, I haven’t had time to think of heirs. There’s been so much to get done here.” Zelda shook her head. “I have cousins, who might be willing to take the position, but I don’t know for certain. Before I do anything I think I’m going to have to talk with them to see if one of them will become my heir.”

For a long time Ilia was silent. “Maybe it would be best for you to designate one of them your heir, rather than talking to them. I’m not saying it’s going to happen…” She sighed. “Families can turn on each other when there’s trouble. There’s an equal chance it won’t be an issue at all, but my fear is that jealousy might have an effect on one or more of your cousins.”

Zelda nodded. “You might be right. I’ve never been very close to my cousins. I was the Crown Princess and they kept a respectful distance, even though I didn’t really want them to. Father never said anything, so I have no reason to suspect there were issues in the past, but there’s no way of knowing for certain. That’s the problem with not having him around. There are some many things I thought I’d have time to learn in the future, and then I found I didn’t.” She bit her lip, doing her best not to let the tears she could feel welling up in her eyes from trickling down her cheeks. “Life without him seems to have been on disaster after another.”

“When this is over I hope for a long period of peace for Hyrule.”

“Peace would be wonderful.” They reached a door Zelda was certain she’d never seen before. “Is this it?”

“Should be.” Ilia looked at Zelda and their eyes met. “You’re going to need to open the door, because you are Royal blood.” She turned back to the door. “All you need to do is turn the handle and then it won’t be lost any longer.”

As Zelda reached her hand out she could see it trembling. Were they doing the right thing? Was she truly the one who should open the door or would that lead to them losing the library for good? She stopped before she touched the handle, uncertain she was doing the right thing, and she knew that was because of the mistakes she’d made before. “You’re sure I’m the one who should open the door?”

“Yes, I am.” Ilia gently wrapped her hand around Zelda’s wrist. “Don’t be afraid. This is a step in the right direction.”

“It’s easier said than done.” Ilia’s belief they were doing the right thing was enough for Zelda, but it was the support she was getting from someone she barely knew that gave her the courage to touch the hand and then turn it. As the door swung open they were both hit with the musty air from the room, which caused them both to cough, and then Zelda found herself laughing. “We should have been expecting that.”

“We should.” Ilia shook her head. “At least it means we were right. This is the lost library.”

“I can’t quite believe it.”

“Neither can I.”

“You go first. You’re the one who knew where it was, so I think it’s your right.”

“Are you sure that’s why I’m going first?”

Not knowing each other well didn’t mean Ilia hadn’t picked up on far more than Zelda wanted her to. “Part of it is my fear. I admit that.” She wouldn’t have admitted it to anyone else, however. “Do it for me.”

After what felt like hours Ilia nodded. “I appreciate you being honest with me.”

“Considering what we’re doing I think we need to be honest with each other.”

“You’re right about that.” Ilia stared into the library. “I’m scared too. I know when I step through this door I’m going to be hit with memories that aren’t mine. This library has been found by us for a reason and the Sheikah knew it would happen.”

“Were they able to see the future?”

“They were able to see possibilities. One of the things they would never say they did was see the future, because the future isn’t certain until it becomes the present. They believed the two of us would find this library, but either one of us could have made choices that would have stopped this from coming to pass, and so they were ready for that. Had someone else found the library it would have faded away for good. We wouldn’t have had another chance.”

“Who else would be looking for it?”

“I don’t know. Maybe they were paranoid. I don’t know.” Ilia sighed. “This isn’t going to be easy for you to witness, but the memories aren’t going to hurt me. It’s just going to be a lot for me to take in.”

Before Zelda could say anything more Ilia stepped into the library. There was nothing for Zelda to see, apart from Ilia. It was obvious how difficult it was for her to accept the memories and Zelda stepped forward, putting both her hands on Ilia’s shoulder to give her the strength to keep going, which might not even have helped. She just hated watching what was happening and feeling helpless. Moments later Ilia put her hands over Zelda’s. She didn’t have any idea how long they stood there like that, but finally Ilia dropped to her knees.

“Are you okay?”

“I will be.” Ilia pushed herself up. “Thank you.”

“What for?”

“Being there to help. With something like that it’s always possible the person in my position might end up losing themselves entirely, but the Sheikah believed I would be strong enough to take all of their shared knowledge. I’m not certain they were right. If you hadn’t been there…” Ilia shook her head. “You gave me your strength and I desperately needed it.”

“You’re welcome to it whenever you need it. I know we’re both in the same position. You’re learning what it means to be one of the Sheikah and I’m learning what it means to be the Queen of Hyrule.”

“In the same way Midna will be learning to become the Queen of the Twili.”

“Midna and I could have supported each other if she hadn’t destroyed the Mirror, but I understand why she made the choice. It was something she felt she had to do.” Zelda didn’t know how much Link had told Ilia about his connected with Midna, so it was impossible to know if Ilia knew he was part of the reason. “There are far too many people who would have taken advantage of the fact the Mirror was there and not everyone would have had innocent intentions.”

“Would she have left it there is she hadn’t ended up falling in love with Link?”

“He talked to you about that?”

“He didn’t have to. The two of us grew up together and I knew him far too well to listen when he said he was fine about everything. I cornered him a couple of days after he got home, so he could let it all out. Before that I’d never seen him cry and he’s been hit in a very sensitive place by goats before.”

“I’m glad he could talk to someone.”

“He would have been an idiot and bottled it up if I hadn’t made him open up to me, but he felt better afterwards. Now he’s with her and I don’t want him to end up in the same position again. There’s just nothing I can do to stop it from happening.”


	7. Learning More About The Twilight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shad talks to Midna and Link about what he's learnt about the Twilight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for missing an update. I was dealing with the flu.

“The library has been far more useful than I thought it was going to be.” Shad smiled. “After all the trouble I had finding what I needed to know in Hyrule I was expecting to deal with the same issues here, and it was a nice surprise to find things much simpler.” He brushed a hand through his hair. “At the same time it makes things more difficult, because I have found out far more than I did in Hyrule, and I’m beginning to think this won’t be an easy problem to solve in the time we have.”

“I never once thought it would be.” Link studied Shad. “This is the way things are when you’re dealing with life and death situations, Shad, but then I know you kept out of most of it before.”

“Being the one who did the research meant I needed to stay safe. I know you never had that chance, and I’m sorry for that.”

“You have nothing to apologise for. If it hadn’t been for you I never would have found the City in the Sky.” Their eyes met and Link could see the emotions Shad was feeling. “I know you can’t get involved this time, either. I don’t expect you to. This isn’t your fight and it never was. You’re the one who finds out what I need to know and then I’m the one who does what needs to be done. We have our duties, and I don’t hate you for not being the one to go out there.”

“He’s not going alone.” Midna walked into the room, a couple of her guards stopping at the door. “I’ll be travelling with him.”

“Midna...”

“How, exactly, are you planning on stopping me? I am the Queen of the Twili. My duty is to protect my people and that’s what I’m going to do.”

“I still think they need you here more than they need you to come with me. What’s going to happen to them if something does happen to you? I know you said you have someone to take your place, but what if something does go wrong? What if something happens to you. They need a Queen who knows what she’s doing, and that’s you, Midna. Without you how are they going to deal with the light if the very worst does happen.”

“Right now the most important thing is making certain they don’t become a part of Hyrule.” Midna stared at Link. “I don’t think you understand how bad it will be for my people if our two worlds were to collide. The majority of them aren’t strong enough to survive the light. Those who do… they’re going to be changed forever and they’ve already been though enough. If I can protect them from that I will.” She shook her head. “You’re going to need me. You don’t know what my world is like. It’s not safe for those who don’t understand the way the Twilight works and I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“Send someone else.”

“We both know that’s not going to work. You won’t be able to understand a word they say. You need me. I know you don’t like the idea of me putting myself in danger, but it’s not as though I haven’t done it before and survived.”

Link remembered exactly what it had been like when he thought Midna was dead, only for her to appear in her true form, and he wasn’t willing to go through that again. He looked down at the table, unable to look at her any longer. “I know you survived, but there were two times when you nearly died, and we both know it’s going to be just as difficult this time, if not worse.” Breathing deeply, he pushed aside the emotions he knew he wouldn’t be able to control if they escaped. “I don’t want you to come with me. I want you to stay here, where it’s safe, and send someone else with me. I don’t care if we don’t understand each other. I’m certain we’ll be able to sort things out.”

A cold hand tilted Link’s face up and he found himself staring deep into Midna’s eyes. “No. I am coming with you. I’m not going to let anything happen to you when you’re in my world, Link, so stop arguing.” She smiled. “I know why you don’t want me to come and I’ve thought long about whether I should or not. In the end there is only me.” The smile grew. “I will show you my world. I’ll show you how lucky you were that you managed to save Hyrule before… and how deeply I believe the two worlds need to stay separate.”

Gently he pulled his chin free. “I know how lucky I was.” He turned to Shad. “Tell me what you learnt.”

Midna sat down next to Link. “Tell us what you’ve learnt, Shad.” For a moment Link thought about arguing with her, but he knew how stubborn she could be. He felt her eyes on the side of his face and turned to look at her. “I’m not the only one who’s stubborn, Link.” She shrugged. “This is something we can talk about later, and I promise you can yell at me all you like.”

Shaking his head he turned back to Shad. “I’m sorry about this.”

“Don’t be. Her… Midna is right. You are going to need someone by your side, because you’re going to need someone who can wield the magic of the Twilight.”

“That limits us rather a lot, if you will keep pushing for another guide. Magic is only taught to the special few, because it takes someone with a lot of strength to use the magic of Twilight, and to become skilled with it… I think there are three of us who have the ability to help you.” She sighed. “I’m not surprised this is the case, however. I know what my world is like. If this is to happen it needs to be done by both sides, because the Twilight will never truly trust the light people.”

Instead of replying Link gestured for Shad to continue. “There are four temples within the Twilight, much like the temples of Light. I have very limited information on them, but I do know how to get to each of them, which is a good thing. From what I’ve read the first thing you have to deal with is the guardian of the temple. Unfortunately I don’t believe anyone, so far, has survived those encounters, although I think it’s possible if you have the Dark Sword. I’m still looking into exactly what that is.”

“You don’t need to. I know exactly what it is and I know where it is, but it’s not going to be easy to get hold of.” Midna made a sound, one Link remembered from before and knew to be her exasperation getting the better of her. “The Dark Sword, technically, has been lost for centuries, only it hasn’t been lost at all. It’s been mislaid, and then after that it’s been disguised.” She shook her head. “We have been protecting to Dark Sword from those who want to wield it, only they don’t have the strength. I don’t know for certain who does.” She glanced at Link. “It’s possible you might. It’s also possible you could end up dying a slow and painful death if you were to try.”

“From what I’ve read there is one way we can tell for certain if Link can wield the Dark Sword.” Shad pushed a book towards them. “Somewhere on his body he’ll have this symbol.”

“I have the Triforce on my hand.” Link looked down at the symbol that might be on his body, taking in the design, and tried to think if he might have seen it. “I don’t remember having it, and I think I would do, unless there’s some reason I wouldn’t have seen it before… like it was concealed in the same way the words in the book were.”

Nodding, Shad smiled. “That sounds like the most likely explanation as to why you wouldn’t have seen it before. The moments of twilight in our world are so fleeting it would have been very lucky if you had seen them.”

“Take your shirt off.”

Link gave Midna a look. “We can have a look once we’re somewhere private.”

“We need to know if the sword will be any good to you. That symbol, normally, will be on your torso, somewhere. I’m thinking it will be on one of your shoulder blades.”

“How do you even know about it?”

“Hyrule isn’t the only place that’s had issues. There have been other Heroes. I have heard stories about them, stories that were more like myths than anything, and that means it’s possible we might be able to survive this, if you have the symbol.”

“Tell me about those myths.”

“The hero of Twilight, if he has existed, has always come from the Light. I have no idea why. Like I said those stories are more like myths than anything. I think there are copies of them in the library, somewhere.”

“I found them.” Shad unrolled a scroll. “I’m not surprised they seemed more like myths, as it has been a long time since someone from Hyrule has travelled to the Twilight. From what is written here it seems that those who are needed are called to the right place at the right time. Everything seems to happen the way it is fated, although there are never any certainties. It’s entirely possible the two of you might fail and if you do the two worlds will collide. Without the weapons of Twilight and the weapons of Light there will be nothing we can do to stop it from happening.”

“Which means you need to take your shirt off.” Midna tugged at Link’s tunic. “The sooner we get this over with the sooner we find out if you are the hero of Twilight. If you aren’t I have no idea what my next step is going to be.”

“Find him, whoever he is. I believe it is Link, but until we have proof we can’t know for certain, and I think Midna is right about this. Just take your tunic off and we can find out whether or not you are the hero of Twilight.”

Sighing, Link stood. “I don’t know if I want to be the hero of Twilight.” He lifted his tunic from the bottom and the coldness of the room hit his bare skin. “Right now I’d like it if my life could be normal, at least for a little while, the way it was before I found out I was the hero of Light.” Once his tunic was off he could feel their eyes on him. “Any sign of this symbol?”

“It’s right where I thought it was going to be.” Midna touched one of his shoulder blades and he was surprised to find her hands were colder than the room. “You are the hero of Twilight, and that means we need to find the Dark Sword first.”

“Why isn’t it the Sword of Twilight?”

“According to legend if came from the dark world. I don’t know all that much about it, but it’s different in ways I can’t possibly describe to you.” Link pulled his tunic back over his head, grateful for the warmth, and studied Midna. “There’s probably something about it in the library. We keep a limited record of pretty much everything, and the problem is that it’s limited. We don’t know enough about our world, or Hyrule, or the dark world, if it does happen to exist. Until the Twilight started to affect Hyrule you didn’t know we existed and it’s possible the whole reason the dark world has been forgotten is for the same reason.” She shrugged. “The time may come when we have issues with the dark world, if it does still exists, but it’s not something we need to think about right now.”


	8. Learning More About The Sheikah

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ilia and Zelda spend some time reading in the lost library.

The lost library was all Zelda hoped it would be, and more. Each one of the books she picked up she knew would teach her more about Hyrule, about the Twilight, and about things she hadn’t even known existed. As she turned to look at Ilia, who was deep into one of the many books on the Sheikah, Zelda found herself wondering who would have created the library, because they must have known what was coming. “I’m not certain the Sheikah are seers.” Ilia looked up at Zelda. “They just knew what could happen and they prepared for that.”

“Did you read my mind?”

“I don’t need to when I’m thinking the same thing myself. The Sheikah do appear to have certain magical abilities, although I’m not certain I’d call them that exactly, but those abilities seem to have been granted by the three goddesses. From what I’ve been reading it seems that those abilities are passed down from one generation to the next, and that explains why I’m a little more than I was. I believe I didn’t know of them before, because I didn’t need them, and now things have changed I need to become the person I would have been had I grown up one of the Sheikah.” There seemed to be a touch of sadness in Ilia’s eyes. “Now I’m learning about the people I come from I find myself wishing I could have been a part of them.”

“Have you read anything about the end of the Sheikah?”

“Not yet, but I’m certain it will be in one of the books we find. The library was hidden in order to protect the knowledge we’d need in the future.” Smiling, Ilia looked around the library. “Shad will love this place, when he returns from the Twilight.”

“Do you believe he will?”

“Yes, when we’ve managed to fix the damage that was caused by Zant’s actions, but Link is a different matter entirely. If he can convince Midna it will work between them he’ll stay.”

“Midna won’t be convinced. She believes there needs to be a distance between the Twilight and the Light. In the end I think she’ll let that get in the way of her own personal happiness, the way she did before. Her world came first. Her world, and her people, will always come first. That’s not a bad thing.”

“Link wouldn’t have been able to return to the Twilight if he wasn’t meant to be there, Zelda. There’s something about him.” Ilia looked down at the book, and then back at Zelda. “Throughout time there have been points where we’ve needed someone to be the hero. That was Link, last time, and now we have to hunt out a new hero, whoever they may be, because Link isn’t just our hero.” She nibbled her lip, looking uncertain. “I don’t know if I’m wording this right, but he is more than the Hero of Time. Some of them are. It’s the reason he was the one who became close to Midna, or at least seems to be. It’s entirely possible it was luck.”

“So Link is both the Hero of Time and the Hero of Twilight?”

“The Sheikah called them the Heroes of the Realms. It appears there are three realms: the light, Hyrule; the Twilight; and the Dark. Until recently we had no idea the Twilight existed, so it’s no real surprise to find out about the Dark. My belief is that we’re dealing with more than we realise. At the moment I can’t be certain, but it seems to me that things are changing, the way they have done in the past, and we need to be ready for that.”

“How long do we have?”

“Unfortunately I have no way of knowing. Our time to stop the two realms from colliding is limited. So much has already happened and we need to be ready for the possibility we might not be able to stop it. Link will do the best he can in the Twilight, but his job there will be just as difficult as our is here, and we haven’t yet found our hero.”

“Whoever it is they have to be out there somewhere.”

“Finding them is going to be the difficult part. Link was in the right place at the right time. If he hadn’t been where he was right at that moment we wouldn’t have had a hero and Zant would have taken over the two realms. I don’t think he would have kept control for all that long, however. Not if I am right.”

“Not if you are right about what?”

“That there’s something more coming.”

“The Dark?”

“Maybe.” Ilia shrugged. “The best thing we can do is focus on what we know is coming, and that is the Twilight colliding with the Light. We need to find a hero, begin to gather the Sheikah and teach them what they are, and prepare for the very worst possibility - that we won’t be able to stop that from happening.”

Nodding, Zelda brushed a hand through her hair, trying to work out what she should be doing. “Where am I needed?”

“Come to Kakariko with me. You helped me through opening up the library, so I think the two of us are stronger together than we are apart. The time may come when that changes, but, for now at least, I’d rather the two of us stayed together. Plus I don’t have as many skills as you do.”

“Father thought it was important I learnt to protect myself and I will always appreciate that. He pushed me when I didn’t want to be pushed, which did have an effect on our relationship, but I understand now why he made the decisions he did. Now that I’ve become the Queen I’ve realised there are far too many difficult decisions that accompany the job, including working out who my heir is while I have no children. Until recently I didn’t think I was ever going to find the right person. Now I finally have I do need to make certain I have that written down before we go anywhere.”

Ilia shook her head. “I can’t be Queen.”

“That’s exactly what I said.” Zelda smiled. “You are one of the Sheikah, and I trust you to do what’s right for Hyrule, should something happen to me.”

“Zelda…”

“We may not know each other well, Ilia, but Link trusted you, and I trust Link. That’s why I asked you to help with this mess in the first place. We need someone like you, someone who understands the history of Hyrule, if the very worst does happen. I don’t think anything will happen to me. I just need to be prepared for the possibility something will, because I don’t know what is going to happen. Neither do you.”

“No, I don’t, and that’s what scares me the most. Being Queen is something I’m not ready for. You weren’t ready for it either, but you were at least prepared for it happening, because you were the heir to the throne, while I’m nothing more than the daughter of the mayor of Ordon. I don’t know anything about ruling Hyrule.”

“I can teach you.”

“Will that be enough?”

“It’s going to have to be, because there is no one else. Someone has to take the throne if something happens to me, otherwise things will be a hundred times worse than they already are now, and I can’t do that to Hyrule.”

For a long time Ilia was silent. Zelda gave her the time she needed to think things through, because it wasn’t an easy thing to accept. When Zelda’s father had died she hadn’t been able to accept it was real, and she wasn’t given the time she needed to come to terms with it, because she’d had to deal with the problems that were created by the Twilight, and Zant. No amount of time was ever truly going to be enough. Some days she still believe he was going to walk through the door to the throne room and tell her it had all been a big joke. Those days were getting rarer, but she didn’t think they’d ever go away entirely. As she studied Ilia, a woman who was going through the same difficult transitions for a different reason, it became obvious why the two of them were working together as well as they did. They understood each other.

“I’ll do it.” Certainty filled Ilia’s voice and Zelda couldn’t stop herself from breathing a sigh of relief. “Being Queen isn’t going to be easy for me, but you’re right. Someone has to be on the throne, and it’s best for that someone to understand the situation they’re dealing with.” Ilia smiled. “The first of the Sheikah was the sister of a King of Hyrule. I don’t believe I am related to her, but there is a chance we’ll find someone who is, and when we do she may well turn out to be the right person for the job.”

“That’s something I didn’t know.”

“Neither did I, until today. This book is a history of the Sheikah, and it appears to have been written by the very woman I mentioned, in her own hand, so I can understand why they wanted to protect it. The very thought of it being destroyed…” Ilia shuddered. “We would have lost something very important.”

Zelda glanced around the library again. “We have found a true treasure trove.”

“A treasure trove we have to protect. These books are our true history. They tell us about Hyrule, about the world it was when the Sheikah came into existence, and the world it became afterwards. I can’t quite believe what I’m touching, because I didn’t think something like this could exist, but it does, due to the preparations the Sheikah made when they realised what might happen.”

“Who would have wanted to destroy books that told our true history?”

“Someone who wanted to destroy the Sheikah for some reason?” Ilia shrugged. “Until I find the right book I won’t know, but that makes the most sense. The Sheikah were a group who fought to protect Hyrule. If someone had planned to take total control the best thing they could have done was to destroy the Sheikah.”

“Ganon?”

“He seems the most likely suspect, but that doesn’t mean he definitely was the person who did it.”

“One of the things I don’t understand is how he’s lived as long as he has.”

“There are a number of reasons, but none of them feel right to me. It’s possible he might not be the same person, instead being the reincarnation of the man who originally tried to take control of Hyrule, or he might have found something that gives him the immortality he needs in order to keep trying to take control.” Their eyes met. “He could be travelling through time, from one point to another, hoping he’ll get lucky, only he never does. He could be different people claiming the same name.”

“Finding out more about Ganon is something we need to do.”

Nodding, Ilia looked down at the book. “When Ganon first tried to take control of Hyrule the Sheikah didn’t exist. He was the reason the King’s sister started working to create a group of warriors who’d be able to protect him, because she knew she wasn’t strong enough alone. The first Hero of Time was one of the Sheikah.”

“The Hero of Time was female?”

“She was, which means there is a chance the hero we’re searching for now might also be female. We have no way of knowing until we find them.”

“I wasn’t taught that.”

“Until now I don’t think anyone knew, because that was another piece of the truth that was lost to us. We can’t accept anything we’ve been taught is true, although I don’t think we were taught wrong on purpose. It’s simply what happens when half our history is lost.”


	9. The Dark Sword

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Midna and Link set aside their argument to plan out what their next steps are going to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while, but here's the next part. Hopefully I'll be able to get back to regularly posting for you, as I love writing this story.

Link paced from one side of the room to the other. He’d always known Midna was stubborn, but he thought he’d be able to talk her out journeying with him. There was this voice in the back of his head telling him to stop trying, because then he’d have a chance to make her see they could work, only it was a voice he’d learnt to ignore. On the days when he was feeling at his very lowest, when he missed her the most, that was the voice that was telling him to convince Shad to look into recreating the mirror… which had happened without him giving in to the urge. Granted it was for different reasons, and he would be helping the Twili once again. He wasn’t being selfish. Was Midna being selfish? Was the reason she was insisting on going him.

He shook his head. That wasn’t possible. She had never been that sort of person, and there was no reason for Link to think she’d changed that much in the time they’d been apart. Midna truly believed, even if he didn’t agree, she was doing the right thing for the Twili. As she did there was literally nothing he would be able to do to talk her out of it, no matter how worried he was. Instead he needed to focus on how he was going to keep her safe. Getting her back to her people alive was going to be his number one priority. Maybe it shouldn’t, but if things went wrong they were going to need her. Zelda was going to need her. The two of them would need to work together if the worlds did collide, because someone else, someone who didn’t know Zelda, wasn’t going to work. He raked a hand through his hair. A weapon of some form was a necessity. A sword, preferably, at least to begin with.

A knock on the door made him jump. “Come in.” If it was one of the Twili on the other side they wouldn’t understand, but just saying something should be enough. “If that’s why you’re here.”

“It’s why I’m here.” Midna pushed the door open as she spoke, walking in holding the very thing he’d just been thinking about. “You’re going to need this.”

Nodding, he accepted it when she held it out to him. “I am.” He studied her for a moment. “You made the decision you did for the Twili.”

“They have always been my priority, Link. I broke the Mirror because I thought it would be best for my people, but it turned out I was very wrong about that, and now I need to fix the mistake I made.”

“You had no way of knowing it would be a mistake.”

“Unfortunately that doesn’t change the fact our worlds are now colliding, and I have to find a way to stop that from happening.” Midna’s eyes met with Link’s. “I can’t pretend I’m not the reason this is happening. Had I known then what I know now I wouldn’t have broken the Mirror. I would have found another way to deal with the issue of the Mirror’s existence and our connection to the light.”

“I know. We can fix this.”

“Are you truly that certain?”

“We did it before. There’s no reason for me to think we can’t do it again.”

Midna smiled. “We aren’t the part of this I’m worried about. In the Light there’s going to be another Hero, and they’re the thing I’m worrying about. There’s no way we can know what’s happening.” She shrugged. “I am going to try to contact Ilia, but, if the Hero is out of their own, it’s unlikely she’s going to know how well things are going.”

“Right now we don’t even know there is another Hero.” Link sighed. “Until we know there is one all we can do is focus on doing what we have to do here. Maybe it’s not going to be enough. All I can do is believe it will be, because we managed to defeat Ganon last time.”

“We did.” Midna reached out and touched him. “You’re right. We need to focus on us.”

“Honestly, I don’t want you coming with me. No matter what you might think I still believe you would be better off here, but, as much as I hate the decision you’ve made, I’m not going to argue about it anymore. All I can do is accept that you are making what you believe is the right decision.”

“Thank you. It will help. We need to plan out how we’re going to make this work before we leave.”

“Last time we didn’t.”

Laughing, Midna nodded. “Things were very different last time. We didn’t have a chance to plan things out. This time we do, and I want to make sure we have some idea of where we’re going, especially if we’re going out to find the Dark Sword. That is just my gift to you, to get us to where I believe the Dark Sword should be.”

“You aren’t certain.”

“I’m not certain about anything, Link, apart from the fact we need to be doing this. We don’t have any other option.”

“I know.” He looked down at the sword. “It’s been a while since I had one of these in my hand.”

For a moment the two of them stood in silence. Link didn’t know how to break it. Then Midna put a hand on his shoulder. “I am sorry I hurt you. I knew when I broke the mirror it would have an effect on both of us, but I felt whatever pain we went through would be worth it. I was wrong.”

***

Shad was surrounded by books, maps, and all sorts of other assorted pieces of paper. “I think I can get you to where the Dark Sword is said to be, but there is a chance it might not be there. The last time anyone seems to have seen it was about three hundred years ago, when it was hidden from those who might misuse it, and there is no way I can know for certain if it is still there.” He shook his head. “From what I can see there is supposed to be a guardian. What that guardian may be is something I don’t know. I haven’t found any mention of someone having seen it. That could mean the Sword is still where it was place.”

“Or it could mean there is no Sword, a guardian I need to fight, and the whole thing will be a waste of time.” Link raked a hand through his hair. “We won’t know until we get there, and by then it could already be too late.”

“There is nothing else you can do. I believe you need the Dark Sword to defeat the other guardians.”

Link stared at Shad. “How many guardians I am going to be dealing with this time?”

“I know for certain there are going to be four, as there’s one in each of the temples, but there are other weapons mentioned, and I can’t be certain what is a necessity and what isn’t. A lot of this is guesswork. Something like this has never happened before. There are stories about it being possible, only no one knew how it might be possible.” Shad shook his head. “Having that book in the light meant the Twili had no way of knowing that breaking the Mirror would cause something like this. There may well have been something similar here that was destroyed. I don’t know.”

“Anything is possible.” Midna’s voice was sad. “There have been times, in the past, when the reigning monarch has made decisions that they may have later regretted. I don’t know a lot about what exactly those decisions were, but I believe they had something to do with the destruction of anything that mentioned the light world.” She looked between Shad and Link. “They didn’t want to be reminded of the world they had been banished from. They didn’t want to be reminded of the decisions that had led to the banishment. Our early history is not something to be proud of, but I don’t believe all record of it should have been destroyed.”

Nodding, Shad flicked through the pages of one of the books. “This is an old journal, from back before the Twili became what they are now, and I had no idea how it’s remained hidden for as long as it has. However I have found that there was a time when everything that was written about Hyrule, about what had happened to them, was destroyed, in order to give the young a chance to create their own legacy. Fortunately for us this book was hidden.”

“Some were, but it’s unusual to find one. Fortunately for us Zant wasn’t interested in going through the history books. All he truly cared about was taking over both the twilight and the light realms, because Ganon had convinced him he should be King of both, even though that was never going to be possible. He should never have been on the throne in the first place.”

“Your monarchy is interesting, Midna.” Shad’s voice was full of that interest, the way it always was when he found out something new, and Link couldn’t help smiling. At least his friend was happy. “An elective monarchy is unusual, but you are now the Queen.”

Midna nodded. “I needed a way to made a distinction between Zant and myself. The others didn’t - they all accepted me as they’d originally made the decision I should be the next on the throne. Being the Queen makes things a little simpler, although there is only so much I can change.”

Link’s eyes met with Midna’s. “You said no child of ours would be able to inherit the throne, because of the mix of bloods.”

“I can name an heir. That’s what I do. Normally, like my father did, they would name their child, and then, if the was the decision of the people, they would inherit the throne. A lot of the time the people will choose whoever the ruling monarch has named the heir, but it doesn’t always happen. I cannot, due to Twili laws that were written so long ago no one knows when it happened, name a child of both light and twilight blood. Instead I would have to name one of my nieces or nephews, and I believe that could cause a lot of problems.” Midna sighed. “It doesn’t truly matter. After all this is done I want you to go home, Link. I want you to live a life in the light, where you should be, rather than trying to change yourself into someone you aren’t.”

“That’s a conversation for another day.” Link turned back to Shad. “We need to talk about the Dark Sword, and where I’m going to find it.”

Shad looked almost relieved that they would be talking about something else. “I have marked on this map where it’s going to be.” He handed it to Link. “Like I said before I have no idea what the guardian might be, but I’m hoping it won’t be anything you have to fight.”

“After what happened before I’m almost certain it will be.”

“Unless it’s not that sort of guardian. Maybe it’ll be like when we had to help the light spirits, instead of us having to deal with a fight so early on.” Midna sounded hopeful. “I have heard there might be a dark spirit.”

“Maybe.” Link shrugged. “We aren’t going to know until we get there, so there’s no point in guessing.”


	10. Lessons Learnt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ilia and Zelda talk some more, in the newly found library.

Books were scattered around the table. Finding a library that had been lost for so long meant there was so much to learn, and Zelda could easily have spent the rest of the day there. Yet there was still so much that needed to be done. Finding the Hero of Light once more. Preparing for the journey to Old Kakariko. Convincing the Captain she would be safer travelling without a guard, because a guard would draw attention, which really was the last thing she needed. Breathing deeply, wishing things were simpler, she looked over at Ilia, and their eyes met for a moment.

“Are you okay?”

“I don’t think I even know what that is any more.” Zelda shook her head. “I thought after Ganon was defeated I wouldn’t have to worry about anything for a while, but now I have this to deal with.” She raked a hand through her hair. “Some days all I want is to pretend this isn’t my job any more.”

“For me it’s different.” Ilia ran her tongue over her lips. “With Father being so against me learning about myself it was all I wanted to do. Now I’m here, and I have this chance, I finally feel free. I didn’t know what it would be like. Honestly, I thought I was going to be trapped for the rest of my life. I thought I was going to have to pretend for the rest of my days that I was normal.” She looked down at the book she had in front of her, and then back up again, smiling. “I know things haven’t been easy for you. I can’t imagine what it must be like for you, but, for the first time, I’m actually useful.”

“When I was younger I always knew I was going to be the Queen, eventually. That was what I was trained to be. Knowing it is very different to actually finding yourself in that position. Every day I wake up thinking Father’s alive, but then that fades, and I remember I’m the Queen, I’m the one who has to deal with all of this, and I feel like a fraud. Like I was never truly meant to be Queen.”

“This isn’t something you can talk about much, is it?”

“No, it’s not. I have to keep putting one foot in front of the other, keep making it seem like I know what I’m doing, when really all I’m doing is guessing. Finding that the Twilight was encroaching into the Light…” Zelda made a face. “I was so angry that something else was going wrong. Part of me wanted to bury my head in the sand and pretend nothing stranger was happening. If it hadn’t been for Shad I might well have done that, but he was spending time in the library when I heard some of the first reports, and I think that was when he made the decision to recreate the Mirror. He wasn’t wrong. I just… I never thought I would have to try to deal with something like this without Link.”

“He’s where he’s needed. There will be someone who can take his place. There is always a Hero of Light when they’re needed.” Ilia looked down at the book once more. “Some of the previous Heroes had siblings, and those siblings had families. I think, if this book is right, we’ll be dealing with the descendant of one of those siblings. The story will have been passed down from one generation to the next, and whoever it is will be on their way here, because that’s the way things have always worked out before.”

Zelda nodded. “I hope you’re right.”

“So do I. It’s easy to read what’s happened before and assume it will happen again, but that doesn’t mean it will. Should things not work out the way I believe they will I’ll take the mantle of the Hero of Light.”

“Can you do that?”

“I’m Sheikah, Zelda. That means I’m different.” Their eyes met. “The Sheikah were the ones to create the weapons of Light, all those years ago, following the directive of the Goddesses, back when they had a stronger connection to Hyrule. Originally the Sheikah were chosen by the Goddesses. At least that’s what I’m reading here, and I have no reason to believe what I’m reading isn’t true.”

“Yet that doesn’t mean you’re going to be capable of dealing with the guardians. I know you said Link was training you.”

“He was.” Ilia smiled. “I’m not saying I want to be the one going to the temples, but, should the worst happen, someone is going to need to gather the weapons of Light. They were hidden away in order to protect them from dark forces, forces that have had an effect on Hyrule since the beginning, so I don’t doubt we’ll be dealing with them again this time.”

“Even thought this seems to have purely been caused by bad luck.”

“Or it was part of the plan. How do we know that whoever was behind Zant and Ganon didn’t believe Midna would destroy the Mirror if she felt she was getting too close to someone here?” Ilia shrugged. “We don’t know enough about anything right now. There is still so much to learn. From what I’ve read it seems that Ganon is being reincarnated, although again that’s something I can’t be certain of. That’s just the way it seems.” She nibbled her bottom lip. “He’s always involved. It could be a name that’s passed down from one generation to the next. It could be that he’s immortal.”

“Midna said she’d killed him.”

“Believing you’ve killed someone doesn’t always mean you actually have. Maybe his darkness was hiding away until everyone was gone, and then it brought his body back.”

“I don’t want to think that’s actually possible.”

“Neither do I. I don’t want to be dealing with Ganon, or anyone else. I want this to be simple bad luck, nothing more, but there is a chance this could all have been part of a plan.”

Slowly, Zelda nodded. “You’re right. We can’t assume anything right now. As of this moment we don’t have enough information about anything. Getting in contact with Midna would be great, but I don’t think that’s possible.”

“There is a chance it is, but that all depends on what she’s learnt about her own powers. If she can dream walk we might be able to talk. I’m going to leave myself open to her tonight, in the hope she can, because we do need to learn more about what’s happening in the Twilight. I want to be certain Link is there. If he isn’t…”

“We have to believe he is there.”

“I know. Without him there, and the Hero of Light here, I doubt we’d be able to stop this from happening. As that’s what we need to do…” Ilia sighed. “There are stories about what might happen if the two worlds collide.”

“The Sheikah knew of the Twilight?”

“Yes, they did, and for a while they protected the Mirror too. Then, with time, people forgot about the Twilight, and the Interlopers, so they weren’t needed there any longer.”

For a long time all Zelda could do was stare at Ilia. “Hyrule has a long history I seem to know very little about. I believed I’d been taught what I needed to know by my father, and it seems I was wrong about that.”

“Our history was destroyed. Had it not been for the fact the Sheikah hid this library I doubt we would know about this now.” Slowly, Ilia looked around the room. “There are certain things I could do in order to protect this place, but I’d need your help with it. Accepting the memories of the past Sheikah took nearly everything I had.”

“How is that going to affect you?”

“Until I start to assimilate then I don’t know. That’s going to happen when I sleep, because it’s easier for the mind to do something so difficult then.” Ilia shrugged. “For now I have these books. That’s enough, to be honest.” Their eyes met again, and Zelda could see the fear Ilia felt, but there was nothing she could do about it. Nothing she could do to help. “I don’t regret the choices I’ve made, but that doesn’t change the fact I’m scared. I don’t know what’s going to happen next. I don’t know if this is going to leave me as a shell full of memories.”

“That could happen?”

“It’s more unlikely now, but there is still a chance it could.”

“If I were you I don’t think I could have made the same choices.”

“When your Captain came to talk to me I knew what I was risking, and there was a part of me that wanted to say no. The part of me that wants to cling on to who I was before the Twilight changed my life wanted me to pretend I couldn’t help him. Instead I agreed, because I knew I wanted this, and I am glad I did. I know so much more about the Sheikah than I would have known if I hadn’t made the journey. I’m beginning to understand my place in all of this.”

“Even if you end up being a shell?”

“Even if I end up being a shell. At least you’ll still have access to the library.” Ilia smiled, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. “As I said before there is a way we can protect this library. I think it’s important we do.”

Nodding, Zelda reached out to touch Ilia’s hand. “If you think it’s the best thing we can do then I’ll help you.” There was a spark of something, maybe magic, and Zelda smiled. “I have a feeling we’re going to be spending a lot of time together in the future, Ilia, and as you’re the one who knows so much more I’m more that willing to listen if you think something is the right thing to do.”

“Good.” That time the smile did reach Ilia’s eyes. “Having you here is going to make things easier. When Link spoke about you before he said you were down to earth, and different to how he thought a Princess, or Queen would be, but I didn’t think for a moment you would be this easy to get along with.” She flushed slightly. “Thank you for being who you are.”

Zelda shook her head. “You have nothing to thank me for. I’m the one who should be thanking you, for giving up a normal life to help me with this mess.”

“I’m glad I could do it. Like I said I have no regrets. I know I made the best choice I could when your Captain knocked on the door. Father…” Ilia sighed. “He didn’t want me to come. He tried to talk me out of leaving home the whole time I was packing. He wanted me to live a normal life, bur normality isn’t possible when you know you aren’t normal. The moment I found out I was Sheikah I knew I had to do something more with my life, and yet Father was there, trying to keep my from fulfilling my destiny.”

“He was probably scared he was going to lose you forever.”

“I know he was, but that’s not going to happen.” Ilia nodded, seeming determined, and Zelda realised she was still touching Ilia’s hand. It seemed so natural. “I am going to assimilate the memories of the Sheikah, because I am one of them, before helping you to do what needs to be done here.”

“Which is help the Hero of Light to find his way.”

“Again.” Ilia smiled. “We’re going to make sure the Twilight and the Light stay separate, Zelda. I truly believe that.”


End file.
